For The Future
by Silver Wind
Summary: an X Fanfic. A Dragon of Earth and a Dragon of Heaven meets and chats over a cup of coffee.


Hmm... since Kigai Yuuto is one of my fave chara on X,   
I thought I'd try to write a story about him. And since   
I think he and Karen would be a lovely couple... *shrugs*   
hope you're enjoying this!  
Disclaimer: Kigai Yuuto, Kasumi Karen, X and all related   
things are properties of CLAMP et.al. The story and all   
original things are created and developed by Silver Wind.  
  
  
For The Future  
by Silver Wind  
lain@suiko.net  
Ginga - http://suiko.net/lain/  
  
  
"Well, hello. We meet again, Mister!"  
I have to grin at the Seal in front of me.  
"Hello to you too, Sorata-kun."  
The young monk laughs and holds out his open-palmed hand.  
"Shall I make a kekkai... or are we goin' to be   
civilized today?"  
I put one hand over my chest in mock hurt,   
"Sorata-kun! I'm always civilized, though I don't know   
about you... and to tell you the truth, I'm not in the   
mood to hurt my old body today."  
"Yeah, exactly my feeling," he relaxes his stance,   
a worried frown crossing his face.  
"So... I bid you farewell, then," I bow slightly,   
"please give my best regards to your comrades. Especially   
to the beautiful lady."  
"Karen-san?" the young man raises one eyebrow and   
laughs, "You're one smooth guy, you know? Okay, I'll tell   
that to her."  
"Mata ne!" I wink at him.  
  
============================================================  
  
"Are you leaving, Kigai-san?"  
I turn around and grin, "Hai. Mata ne!"  
"Sayonara!"  
  
I exit the building with a sigh. Today has been quite   
a long day. Many parents came and registered the   
names of their children... and most of them weren't   
very patient in waiting their turns.  
  
Suddenly I feel very thirsty... spotting a small cafe   
nearby, I obey my impulse to drop by and maybe, to   
enjoy a cup of coffee... or beer, perhaps. I grin to   
myself imagining it.  
  
The waitress leads me to a small table for two. Too   
bad I'm alone. Maybe I should've phoned Satsuki-chan.   
Next time, I guess.  
  
I look around me... my eyebrows shoot up in a mixture   
of surprise, amusement and annoyance when I see a face   
that I recognize 3 tables from mine. It was the lady...   
the beautiful pyrokinetic lady. I truly didn't expect   
to meet anyone I knew, Seals or Angels, today. But since   
she's here... and alone too, hopefully I'd be able to   
avoid any battle. I'm just not in the mood to use my power.  
  
As if she knows she's being watched, she turns to look   
at me. I see she recognizes me as well. Her beautiful   
eyes widen in surprise then narrow in doubt. Finally   
she smiles and walks towards me. My heart begins to beat   
faster, I don't know why, but I try to keep my usual   
cheerful persona.  
  
"Well, it seems that we meet again," she begins   
smoothly.  
I smile, admiring her perfect appearance, "It   
seems so, ojo-san."  
She laughs, "'Ojo-san' is definitely not for me.   
Inappropriate, the way I see it. But since we don't know   
each others' names, I guess it'd do."  
"Are you alone?"  
"Hai," she shrugs, "I have an urge to enjoy a   
serving of sundae here."  
Obeying my impulse again, "Would you join me,   
then?"  
"I assume we're not starting to fight again?"   
she smiles mischievously.  
"Oh, the battle can wait," I grin, standing up   
and pulling a chair for her, "Please."  
"Arigato," gracefully she accepts my offer,   
"I suppose we're going to be civilized today?"  
"How can I not be civilized in front of such   
a beautiful lady like you?"  
"You're flattering," she puts one hand under   
her chin, "But I guess I'm looking more beautiful than   
the last time we met."  
I raise one eyebrow at her, "You are very   
beautiful, make-up or no make-up. And I'm being brutally   
honest here."  
"A very smooth man," the lady chuckles.  
"But not a gentleman," I reply apologetically,   
"I'm Kigai Yuuto and since we're going to be enemies,   
might as well we know each other."  
"My name is Kasumi Karen," she bows her head   
slightly, "How are your comrades, Kigai-san?"  
I dismiss the question with a wave of my hand,   
"Forget our battle and fate just for today, Kasumi-san.   
Let's pretend that we're just normal human beings who   
are trying to enjoy the coffee and pastries of this   
cafe. Don't you agree?"  
Her laugh is like a music, "Very well. I guess   
we can pretend that this is a perfect world today."  
  
The waitress comes and serves my order, coffee and   
waffles.  
Kasumi-san smiles, "You like sweet things too,   
Kigai-san?"  
"Hai," I nod, "But I try to keep it low. It's   
not really good for this old body."  
"If you're old, then what about me?" she glares   
at me good-naturedly.  
I smile sheepishly, "Sumimasen... but you're   
not old at all. Definitely not older than I am!"  
"You're flattering again," she winks.  
"Ah, but I'm telling the truth," I defend   
myself, "I wager every man would tell you that... and   
especially your koibito!"  
She blushes a bit, "And who says that I have   
one?"  
"There would be no way you don't have any!"   
I exclaim.  
"Kigai-san, since we're enemies and I have   
this feeling that I could trust a secret to you...,"   
she trails off.  
I look at her questioningly, "Yes?"  
"Do you have someone that you like, Kigai-san?"  
"I don't know if I can call this feeling 'like'   
or *that* 'like'," I answer honestly, "but hai, I think   
I do like someone."  
"Does the person know?"  
"Iie. Doshite?"  
She takes a deep breath, "What will you do if   
you like a person, but that person is fully attached   
to someone else?"  
I look down at my coffee thoughtfully. Why is she   
asking me this? Is she in love with one of her fellow   
Seals? But most of them are very young. Sorata-kun,   
Kamui, the young girl with inugami, the shrine maiden   
and the head of the Sumeragi clan... oh, wait...   
there's the salary-man... He seems to be a bit older   
than her... is it him that she's referring to?  
"Is there absolutely no way that person will   
be attracted to you?" finally I ask.  
"Ah," she laughs, "Perhaps there is something   
between us, Kigai-san. But he is very devoted to his   
mate."  
"I see," I fall silent.  
The silence stretches. She puts her hands under her   
chin, her eyes taking a daydreaming look.  
"I don't suppose you've ever had that kind of   
problem," her voice startles me, "After all, you're   
very handsome. I'm sure that many women love you."  
"But the one person I like is totally devoted   
to her loved one too, Kasumi-san," I reply a bit   
bitterly, thinking about Satsuki-chan and Beast.  
"I'm sorry to hear that," I can see sincerity   
in her voice.  
Putting my hands over my cup, I smile, "Ah,   
it's not something to be sorry about. So we are in the   
same situations, I assume?"  
"I think so."  
  
"Is it difficult for you, have to meet the   
person you love everyday and can't do anything about   
it?" I can't resist the urge to ask her that.  
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "You know   
whom I love?"  
"I think I have quite a good idea who he is,"   
I smile, "It's not that hard to imagine which one of   
the Dragons of Heaven you like."  
"You're very smart," she smiles too, "no wonder   
Sorata-kun often speaks highly of you."  
"He does?" I chuckle to myself.  
"Why, yes. But I haven't answered your question,"   
her eyes glaze over for an instant, "Yes, it is hard...   
but to see him smiling and talking gently... Those alone   
have already made me very happy above other things."  
I nod, "I see..."  
"What about you, Kigai-san?" she asks earnestly,   
"Is it hard for you?"  
"I feel the same way as you do," I reply slowly,   
thinking about the rare occassions when I can witness   
Satsuki-chan's cute face smiling.  
"We are so pathetic, aren't we?" she laughs.  
I smile bitterly, "That we are, Kasumi-san...   
That we are."  
Another silence fall upon us.  
"Tell me, Kasumi-san," I surprise myself by   
asking yet another question, "Why do you accept your   
position and fate as a Seal? Why do you want to save   
humanity?"  
She looks at me for a long time, a sweet smile   
on her lips, "Kigai-san... Kamui... the Kamui of my   
side said something which struck true to my heart. Do   
you wish to hear it?"  
"Hai," I wonder what that sad, emotional boy   
possibly said.  
"He said that 'this world'," she quotes him,   
"'this world exists because of the people I care   
about are there. If the people I love do not exist,   
then my world is ended'."  
"It's quite selfish," I argue, "What if he   
no longer care about someone? Then will he do nothing   
to save his precious humanity?"  
She shakes her head gently, "For Kamui...   
there will always be people that he loves. People   
that are precious to him... even your [Kamui]. He   
will do anything to save humanity... because in this   
world, there are people that he hold dear."  
"Ah," not an intelligent response, I know.   
But that's all that I can say. I have no idea what   
to reply to her.  
"Well, Kigai-san," she smiles, "Tell me.   
Why do you want to destroy humanity?"  
"To save the Earth," I give her my best   
innocent smile.  
Kasumi-san laughs, "Somehow I don't buy that.   
There's more to it. Won't you be sad if the people   
you care about die if you destroy humanity?"  
I think about my younger sister. Tomoe...  
"Hai, I will be sad, of course," I answer   
thoughtfully, "But I believe the sacrifice is   
needed if we want this Earth to stay alive."  
"You Angels really don't have people that   
you're concerned of, do you?" she lets out a resigned   
sigh, "Oh, except for you maybe, Kigai-san. But   
for the others, I don't think..."  
"I don't think so too," I cut her with   
an apologetic smile, "At least Nataku-kun has no   
soul. Sakurazuka-san bears no feelings towards   
anyone, and..."  
"Ah, please stop," she raises a graceful   
hand, "We shouldn't be talking about our comrades   
like this. And didn't we agree to just enjoy this   
day without thinking about our destiny?"  
"Please forgive me," I chuckle, "Let's   
talk about something else, then."  
  
A comfortable silence falls again. She is looking   
at me appraisingly. Satsuki-chan said that this   
lady works in a soapland. I believe it's because   
the nature of her work that she's looking at me   
the way she does right now. And somehow... I feel   
flattered...  
"You're very good-looking," she says in   
pure admiration.  
I feel myself blush slightly, "Arigatou."  
"Even...," she smiles, "... almost too   
pretty... you pay a good deal of attention to   
your own look, correct?"  
"Sou desu ne," I grin, "I want to always   
look good..."  
"And I can understand," she hides a smile   
behind her hand, "Why shouldn't you? I mean, why   
waste what has been provided for us, correct?"  
  
She sips her coffee casually.  
"What would your [Kamui] say if he finds   
out about our chit-chat here?" Kasumi-san looks   
at me seriously.  
I shrug, "I'm sure that he's already   
known, Kasumi-san. After all... he *is* [Kamui]."  
"And you're not worried?" she smiles.  
"Not at all," I grin, "[Kamui] knows   
what's best... and I am afraid of him, I freely   
admit that fact... But what else can I do? If   
my Future is to die in his hands, so be it."  
"Ah!" she exclaims, "You see? That's   
the difference of us, the Seals, and you, the   
Angels..."  
"I know," I smile thinly, "We believe   
that our Future has been determined."  
"And we do not," she finishes for me,   
still smiling at me, "No matter what happens,   
we believe that our Future is ours and ours   
alone. Only I can set the Path of my own Fate.   
Not even God can do it. All God does is setting   
my chances and my possibilities. But I *choose*   
my Way. Because human beings are blessed with   
the freedom to choose his or her Destiny."  
"Blessed? Or cursed?" I sigh and close   
my eyes.  
She chuckles softly, "Definitely blessed,   
Kigai-san. I would very much hate my life if I   
were not given this freedom to choose."  
I look at her a little disbelievingly,   
"Would you, really?"  
"Let me put it this way," she props her   
chin on one hand, looking thoughtfully at me,   
"Suppose... you were given two choices by Fate.   
One, you live... but a relative of you dies. You   
get to enjoy life until... say, 83 years old.   
But for the consequences, your ten-year-old niece   
dies because your relative isn't there to prevent   
an accident that happens to her..."  
"I'm listening," I nod.  
"And the second option is," she raises   
two slim fingers, "you die at 30 years old, but   
your relative lives... and this relative of yours   
manage to save your niece. Your niece lives until   
she's 60 years old. Which one would you choose?"  
I sip my drink, my mind scanning both   
possibilities thoroughly, "It is difficult,   
Kasumi-san. It's not just about my life..."  
"Exactly. So you see? Destiny is not   
foreordained for us. Future is not determined for   
us. We, and we alone can determine Future. We alone   
can set our Path," she finishes, letting out a deep   
breath.  
"I see your point," I reply, still   
thinking about Fate, Destiny and choices, "But I   
still..."  
"I know," she gently covers my hand with   
her own, "And I absolutely have no intention   
whatsoever to make you bertray your fellow Angels.   
I don't intent to change your mind. I was... I   
was merely explaining my views."  
She stands up and walks around our table. She   
bends down to my level and softly... she kisses   
my cheek...  
"I have to go now, Kigai-san," she clasps   
my hands warmly, "It was most pleasuring to talk   
to you."  
I smile up at her wistfully, "The next   
time we see each other again, Kasumi-san...   
please raise your kekkai. Please fight me with   
all of your might."  
"I will," she walks away from me, looking   
over her shoulder at me for the last time and   
smiling, "For *my* Future."  
  
I look at her graceful figure.  
"Yes... Karen-san," I whisper, "prove to   
me that our Future has not yet been determined.   
Prove that humans are free to choose their own   
Destiny... Prove it to me. Even if you have to   
kill me..."  
  
~ owari ~  
  
  
Notes:  
Yuuto's characterization here comes from someone's   
opinion on CML (CLAMP Mailing List) who said that   
in her opinion, Yuuto is a pacifist. An absolute   
contradiction with Karen, I say! 


End file.
